the Brexit

Question 1

News update on Scotland referendum

Answer 1

Nov. SNP asked for a Scotland independence referendum again > Theresa May upset “will you stop with your obsession with breaking us apart”

Question 2

the word Brexit

Answer 2

• It’s a porte-manteau word merging the words ‘Britain’ and ‘exit’.
• It was based on another neologism, that of ‘Grexit’, used in 2012 during the Greek debt Crisis.

Question 3

Who chose to have the Brexit Referendum

Answer 3

As part of the 2015 General Election campaign, David Cameron (who was elected with a very short majority) had promised a referendum on the UK position in Europe.

Question 4

Brexit referendum result

Answer 4

Leave 51.9%
Turnout 72.2% → it’s massive for a national referendum.

Question 5

Two opposed Cross-Party Campaigns

Answer 5

• Leave
• Britain Stronger in Europe

Question 6

Leave

Answer 6

• advocated mostly by the UK Independence Party
• also Half of the Conservative Party MPs (Boris Johnson)
• Supporters of Brexit mentioned the high EU membership fees and immigration policies as a negative aspect of participation in the EU.

Question 7

Britain Stronger in Europe

Answer 7

• David Cameron,
• Chancellor George Osborne
• Most Labour MPs,
• The Lib Dems

Question 8

David Cameron’s campaign

Answer 8

The PM was the leading voice in the Remain campaign. He had first reached an agreement with other European Union leaders changing the terms of Britain’s EU membership if the country had voted to stay in.
The deal was supposed to give Britain “special” status on issues like EU contribution and immigration.

> Cameron was defeated and resigned on the day after losing the referendum.

Question 9

the SNP campaign

Answer 9

Scotland had voted massively against Brexit, to remain in the European Union. They feel like it’s bad for them to be outside the EU right now.

Question 10

Theresa May and Brexit

Answer 10

• She had to “deliver” Brexit. It means “to keep your promises” on some issues.
• Her sentence “Brexit means Brexit” = people have made their decision. Showing Parliament that now Brexit has to be delivered, even though initially she wasn’t a Tory.
• She appointed the Brexit Secretary.

Question 11

Brexit Secretary

Answer 11

David Davis.
David was a longtime Eurosceptic who campaigned for Leave.
He resigned in July 2018, accusing Theresa May of wanting a “soft” brexit. His three successors also soon resigned.

Question 12

“soft” Brexit

Answer 12

She wanted trade negotiation to be easy, she wanted to carry on trading with Europe. If you leave Europe, you cannot trade and not pay taxes. Which is what they wanted to do.

Question 13

Foreign Secretary

Answer 13

Boris Johnson

Question 14

Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

Answer 14

tALKS ABOUT

• Reach an agreement on the rights of UK and EU people after Brexit
• Agreeing on the amount (money) of the “divorce bill”
• Dealing with the Northern Ireland border, Gibraltar, etc.
• The beginning of trade negotiations

Question 15

The “Divorce” Bill

Answer 15

• The EU wanted the UK to settle any outstanding bills and contributions to the EU budget before leaving. (debts)
• Much of the bill covers pension payments to EU officials, and outstanding EU budget commitments.
• Theresa May agreed on paying a flat fee of 45 billion euros (£39) instead of the 60 billion euros initially mentioned by the EU.
• Hard Brexiteers wanted to leave without paying anything.

Question 16

The Northern Ireland border

Answer 16

An issue that is still ongoing right now.
- The Withdrawal Agreement spelled out a method of avoiding the return of a physical Northern Ireland border.
- The EU and UK first agreed on putting in place a “backstop” at the border between NI and the Republic of Ireland. These issues involved a temporary single custom territory (between them both), thus still keeping the UK in the EU customs union. → Infuriated a lot of people in Ireland.
- This backstop should have worked as a safety option, ensuring there is no hard border like during the Troubles, and respecting the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Question 17

The Northern Irish Protocol

Answer 17

The Protocol is a special arrangement that ensures the land border between Northern Ireland continues to be invisible and respects the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Under the scheme, Northern Ireland follows EU customs rules, remains part of the Single Market for goods and applies EU law on VAT (Value Added Tax) in order to avoid border checks between the two sides.
These measures were welcomed by the Nationalists advocating closer ties with Ireland and the EU. But they have infuriated the Unionists who complain the Protocol has created an unnecessary border in the Irish Sea and effectively separates the province from the rest of the UK.